Not a typo, but a Latin term used by the Catholic Church for the three days coming after the Lenten penitential season. Some old Catholics and other Christians may recall references to the “forty days of Lent” but that is a historical reference, not an actual count. Pope Leo I originally set the Lenten period at forty days, but later Popes set Ash Wednesday (you know, the day you see people walking around with smudges on their foreheads?) as the beginning of Lent , which reset Lent to more than forty days. Some folks contend the Sundays in Lent don’t count (Sundays are always “feast days”) but that would leave Lent at less than forty days. Either way, Lent ends with Holy Thursday, the start of a three-day period called Triduum. And yes, it’s still confusing, because the three days comprise Thursday-to-Friday, Friday-to-Saturday, and Saturday-to-Sunday. Which is Easter.
While many people think of Christmas and Easter as equally important peak days of Christianity, that’s not entirely correct. The Triduum, the mysterious period where Jesus Christ holds the Last Supper, is betrayed, accused, chastised*, tried, condemned, crucified, and then rises from the dead, is the summit of Christian experience. Of course, you can’t get there without the Incarnation (Mary’s fiat in Nazareth, Jesus’ birth at Bethlehem), but we can’t get there (Heaven) without the Triduum.
The Alicante processions continued all week, and while we didn’t attend each and every one, the ones we did attend were all unique. On Wednesday we tried to get close to the Hermanidad Penitencial procession in the Santa Cruz neighborhood. I say tried, because despite going early, we only got this close:
The Santa Cruz area is the original old city, on a hillside, with very narrow lanes. Maneuvering the paso through involves all kinds of complicated maneuvers. Going under a doorway might have the costaleros crawling on their hands and knees; going downhill means holding the front over their heads, hands extended (to equalize the weight; think about carrying a couch down a stairwell). A French couple with whom we were watching another procession told us the costaleros return the paso to the top of the hill by running with it! Luckily, someone else got a better video of the event:
On Holy Thursday we stayed up till 11:30 pm to watch the beginning of the “silent procession.” Two surprises awaited us. First, the procession turned right coming out of the door of the Co-cathedral, while the official tourist guide assured me they would turn left. So we were out of position. Second, the band started up; maybe the silent part comes later?
Lest we find ourselves distant onlookers yet again, the Spirit took pity on us when we returned to our apartment. One more procession, not just in the neighborhood, but right under our balcony!
and then . . .
We eventually recovered from our late night, and now happily and solemnly await Easter morning. I know I’m looking forward to chocolate (from the Leonidas store two blocks away) and ice cream (gelato!); Judy will resume listening to true-crime podcasts. We hope your Lent was spiritually fruitful!
Blessed Easter to All!
*Chastisement was a spectrum of Roman punishment, from mild public scolding to heavy flogging designed solely for those about to be executed by crucifixion. Odd how in English, it has become solely the former.